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Community Power Conference 2009 Blazes a Trail in Ontario

Tuesday, November 17th 2009 3:17:03pm

Community Power Conference 2009 Blazes a Trail in Ontario

(Tuesday, November 17, 2009) The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) wraps up a very successful 1st Annual Community Power Conference with the creation of a new 'International Community Power working group' with OSEA and the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA).

Dr. Josef Pesch from Freiburg, Germany, said, 'this will allow for renewables to become centralized via Community Power projects. We have more renewables than we need and they are presently decentralized, so this partnership will instigate greater success world wide.'

With getting the 2009 Green Energy and Green Economy Act passed into legislative law in Ontario to now having this new working group with WWEA, OSEA continues to blaze trails in the clean, green energy sector.

The event attracted 450 conference delegates and over 2,500 attendees to the OSEA and APPrO trade show, Nov 16-18th. Speakers and panel participants included renewable energy experts from around the world such as Dr. Josef Pesch, of the German Wind Energy Association, Stefan Gsänger of the World Wind Energy Association Working Group for Community Power, renewable energy expert/advocate and author Paul Gipe, and Miguel Mendonca, Research manager, World Future Council.

"We're thrilled with how everything went," said Kristopher Stevens, Executive Director of OSEA. "Industry leaders from around the world came to share their expertise with the leaders in Community Power in Ontario and the standing room only session's shows, there's a real appetite for this information."

Former Minister of Energy and Infrastructure George Smitherman delivered the keynote speech to a full auditorium yesterday. Renowned environmentalist Dr. David Suzuki attended as Honourary Chair.

"Our goal was to capture the momentum of Ontario's new Green Energy Act, and work towards 100% sustainable energy," said Kristopher Stevens. "This new International working group with WWEA will work to document and share best practices while strengthening the world wide network of local sustainable energy leaders.'

Other conference highlights include an awards ceremony celebrating leaders in community power and renewable energy. MPP Toronto Centre George Smitherman received the Community Leader Community Power Award; Michael Fox, President of Fox High Impact Consulting, received the Aboriginal Community Power Award; Ken Trayner of the Toronto Renewable Energy Co-Op received the Urban Community Power Award; and Paul Norris, President of the Ontario Water Power Association, receive the Rural Community Power Award.

"The first annual Community Power Conference was a fantastic success," said wind expert Paul Gipe "it will be hard for OSEA to top it in 2010, but seeing their track record, OSEA will deliver".

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For more information, please contact:

Don Huff
huffd@ecostrategy.ca, 416.972.7401

The OSEA works to initiate, facilitate and support the work of local sustainable energy organizations through membership services and province wide capacity-building and non-partisan policy work. It promotes the benefits of community power and renewable energy through advocacy, public outreach and capacity building.